


Plague

by aloevera



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Pregnancy, Star Trek: AOS, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2019-02-28 18:44:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13277634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aloevera/pseuds/aloevera
Summary: The landing party brought aboard a plague but not all of the symptoms fit.





	Plague

While you are nowhere near being the most enthusiastic about spending your days in the blackness of space, you’re content. You’re surrounded by crew members who have become your closest friends and confidants, they’ve become members of your family and, while you hate not being able to live a completely normal life, your time in space is nowhere near as miserable as it could be. You even find yourself missing the action and environment of the Enterprise when you find yourself enjoying a few brief moments of shore leave.

However, all of those fuzzy feelings of love and appreciation fade when you find yourself falling victim to one of the Enterprise’s unfortunate outbreaks of disease. In cases like this, you find yourself agreeing with Leonard’s thoughts that the Enterprise is a damned cesspool of disease and darkness.

“I swear,” Leonard grumbles, voice muffled as he tugs his uniform shirt over his head, “this ship is worse than an elementary school with germs. Damn crew gettin’ sick and not tellin’ someone. Whole damn outbreak could’ve been prevented.”

You have to work hard to stifle your giggle as Leonard stalks around your shared quarters in an effort to get to MedBay before anyone else causes an unnecessary outbreak. “Do you have vaccinations all day today?” you question as you pull on your own boots.

“Yeah,” he sighs as he brushes a hand through his hair, “I won’t be able to join you for lunch today, darlin’, I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright,” you assure him with a smile, “just don’t get too testy today. I’ll lure Jim down when I get my vaccination so you can ambush him.”

“Don’t know what I’d do without you, darlin’,” Leonard laughs before he moves to press a chaste kiss to your lips. “I’ll see you later on. Try to limit your exposure, alright? I don’t want to have to play doctor at home, too,” he calls over his shoulder, only half serious.

You both know that Leonard would take care of you as best as he could with only minimal complaints but you nod your head and send him a mock salute. “Yes, sir, Doctor McCoy,” you call and, with a final shake of his head and a chuckle, Leonard is on his way to MedBay.

You didn’t want to make his day any worse by telling him that you were already beginning to feel ill so you kept the nausea, aching, and slight fever you’d been feeling to yourself. You hoped that the vaccine would catch the bug in time to keep it from turning into a full blown case of something you never would’ve experienced on earth but, as you felt your stomach churn and the headache you’d been nursing grow a little in intensity, you feel like the vaccination might be a little too late.

And your thoughts are echoed by Nyota as soon as you take your seat beside her. “You look like shit,” she states as she turns to face you. “Are you sick? If you’re sick, I’m telling Kirk and you’re going to MedBay.”

“I’m not sick,” you sigh, “I’m fine. I have a vaccine in a few hours. Don’t worry.”

“Vaccines won’t do you any good if you’re already sick,” she huffs, “you need antibiotics and rest. Is it whatever plague the landing party brought aboard?”

“Plague?” you laugh, “Ny, you sound like Leonard. No, I’m fine. Not feeling the greatest but the symptoms are different, I think. It might be a cold but it’s nothing the vaccine won’t fix. If it doesn’t, I’ll get some antibiotics.”

She gives you a look before she turns her attention back to the console in front of her. “I still think you should go McCoy,” she informs you with a shrug.

“I don’t want Leonard to worry,” you return with a sigh. “He gets a little, uh, intense whenever I get sick or injured or need his medical assistance in any way, shape, or form. So, I’m not going until it’s absolutely necessary.”

“There are other doctors in MedBay,” Nyota points out with a glance in your direction. “Go see M’Benga or that new doctor. You could even see Chris and let her determine how bad it is before you see McCoy. Just, don’t let it get too bad.”

You’re silent for a moment before you relent. You know that Nyota won’t leave you alone until you get yourself checked out so you nod in her direction and stand, pausing for a moment to steady yourself as a wave of nausea crashes over you. She moves to stand with you and stops when you shake your head. “I’m fine,” you assure her, “it’s fine. I’m going.”

However, she won’t take no for an answer. “Captain,” she calls and catches Jim’s attention, “she needs to head to MedBay and I’m not sure she should go on her own.”

Jim steps over to the two of you and places a hand on your shoulder. “Are you alright?” he questions quietly. “Do you need me to call Bones?”

“No,” you assure him quickly, “I’m fine. I’m going to see if M’Benga’s not terribly busy. Leonard’s got the worst of it this morning.”

“Uhura, walk with her to MedBay. If you see M’Benga, make sure to fill Bones in later. I don’t want him chasing me around the ship with questions as to why his girlfriend is ill and he didn’t know,” Jim laughs before he allows you and Uhura to head to MedBay.

The ride is silent as you focus on not throwing up on Nyota’s shoes and before you know it, you’re in the busy MedBay and searching for Christine.”

“Oh, you look awful,” she points out when Nyota brings her back to where you stand by the entrance. “Do you want me to go get McCoy?” she questions as she takes a closer look at you.

“No,” you sigh with a shake of your head. “I was thinking about seeing M’Benga. Just until I know what’s going on. I don’t want Leonard to worry about me until there’s something to worry about. Besides, he’s going to be busy chasing Jim down to give him his vaccine.”

“You’re in luck, then,” Christine hums as she grabs her PADD and leads you to an open biobed, “M’Benga’s got a little time. I’ll send him over so you can get to feeling better. Maybe you’ll even be well enough to help us lure Kirk down here later.”

Christine makes quick work of setting up the small area before she and Nyota leave you alone, hidden behind a privacy curtain. Your mind begins to wander and you wonder how upset Leonard will be when he finds out that you’ve caught whatever plague was brought aboard. You know that if he had his way, you’d be trapped in a bubble for the rest of your days but he can’t keep you from all of the universe’s dangers.

He’ll understand but that doesn’t mean he won’t be insufferable until you’re well again.

“Ah,” M’Benga hums as he steps in and returns the curtain to its position, “it’s good to see you! Not under the circumstances, of course, but good nonetheless. Nurse Chapel said you weren’t feeling well. Think it might be too late for that vaccine?”

You pause for a moment before you shrug. “Maybe,” you sigh as you allow him to run the tricorder over you, “but the symptoms are a little different than what Leonard described. He never mentioned nausea.”

M’Benga hums thoughtfully before he pauses for a moment. “Would you mind leaning back?” he questions as he moves to give you a little space. You’re unsure of why he’s asking but you do as he asked and lean back against the somewhat uncomfortable material of the biobed and allow M’Benga to continue scanning with the tricorder.

It’s silent for a moment as M’Benga studies the tricorder’s readings. “Well,” he begins as he motions for you to return to your earlier position with a kind smile, “you do have a touch of the affliction ailing the rest of the crew but it’s mild and shouldn’t take very long to get rid of. I’ll get you something for it. However, the nausea might take a little longer to get rid of. I can get you something to make the morning sickness a little more bearable but, unfortunately, we can’t get rid of it entirely.”

It takes a moment for his words to sink in and when they do, you let go and let the nausea you’d been pushing down overtake you. M’Benga is quick and helps you to the sink just in time for you to empty the contents of your stomach. “I’m sorry,” you breathe as he helps you back to the biobed, “just, uh, I don’t know. I’m pregnant?”

Doctor M’Benga smiles warmly and nods. “You are. I’m going to estimate about a month and a half along but we’ll have to set up an appointment for you to come in and get some more extensive tests done. Doctor Harper, the newest addition to our medical staff, is the most well-versed in this particular field so you’ll be seeing her if that’s alright with you,” and, as an afterthought, he adds, “and Leonard.”

He hears the spike in your heart rate at the mention of telling Leonard and he returns to the stool beside the bed. He places a kind hand on your knee and smiles. “It may not be my place to say this but Leonard is very much in love with you and this will only add to that love. I’m assuming you weren’t planning on conceiving while on a starship,” he laughs and his smile grows when you give a tentative giggle, “but family is rarely ideal. This is just the beginning of a very long, very fulfilling journey that you and Leonard will share.”

M’Benga’s words soothe you slightly but you can’t help the racing thoughts that threaten to send you spiraling into a mess of tears. “Is it normal to already be this emotional?” you question as you brush away the few tears that did manage to escape.

M’Benga laughs and stands from the chair. “It is,” he assures you. “It’s a lot to take in. I’ll give you some time to speak with Leonard and get your thoughts together. I’d like for you to set up an appointment with Doctor Harper as soon as you can, though.”

“I will,” you assure him as you step down from the biobed, “thank you.”

You hesitate for a moment, about to ask him to refrain from saying anything to Leonard when he nods kindly. “I won’t say a word,” he answers, as if reading your thoughts.

After another smile and a quiet thank you, you head out of the MedBay, careful to avoid Leonard on your way out. You know that you can’t avoid him forever, you live with him, but you want some time to yourself to gather your thoughts.

You know that Leonard won’t be thrilled about the fact that you were pregnant in space. He’s made it clear that he’s not fond of the setting for your romance but you also know that he loves the Enterprise, even if he’ll never admit it. He won’t want to leave the ship and your friends and the life you’ve built here.

You’re also not even sure if he wants another child. You know that he loves Joanna with every fiber of his being, you know that he’d do anything for her and give her the world if he could, but you can’t help wondering if she’s it for him. You’ve spoken about marriage, his reluctance to do it all again but his willingness to do it for you, and you’ve spoken about finding a place and spending more time with Joanna, the three of you together, but you’ve never touched on the topic of having your own children. And, honestly, you never really thought about it.

Every day aboard the Enterprise held the potential to be life-threatening. It held the potential to be earth shattering and terrifying. You never really considered bringing another life on board because, honestly, what kind of life could you give them in the blackness of space?

You feel your heart sink as you come to the conclusion that you can’t give a child any sort of life aboard the ship. You’ll have to leave, have to work in San Francisco at Starfleet Headquarters if they’ll take you or elsewhere if they won’t. Your work, your life, will change dramatically and the thought sends you into a fit of tears.

The tears are only enhanced by the fear that Leonard won’t want another child, that he’ll let you leave the ship and return to earth alone with this baby. You know, realistically, that he’d never do that but you can’t help the fears swirling in the pit of your stomach. You’re overwhelmed, exhausted, and feeling more ill than you had been all day and it’s just too much for you.

As lost as you are in the your fears and hypotheticals, you don’t hear the door to your quarters open and you don’t notice Leonard enter the bedroom until you feel your shared bed dip beside you.

“Darlin’,” he begins, his voice gentle and worried, “what’s wrong?”

The feeling of his hands on you, rubbing gentle circles into the skin, sets you off into another round of tears and you can’t help yourself as you bury your face in the material of his uniform shirt.

Leonard is patient as he tries to get you to settle down but you can feel the tension in his body as his concern only grows. It takes a good thirty minutes for you to calm down enough for him to feel that you’re ready to hear him saying, “Darlin’, you’re worryin’ me. Please, talk to me.”

Leonard’s hands are still gentle on your skin as you lift your head and take as deep a breath as you can. “I’m sorry,” you whisper, not totally trusting your voice.

“Don’t apologize, darlin’,” he returns gently. “Just talk to me.” When he senses that you’re not quiet ready, he sighs and shifts on the bed to pull you a little closer. “You didn’t come for your vaccine, I got worried. Uhura said you weren’t feelin’ well, went to MedBay. If you’re sick and you’re worried I’ll be upset that you didn’t tell me sooner, I promise I won’t. I just want you to be alright.”

“I saw M’Benga,” you begin slowly, “thought it was just the thing going around. Figured you’d be annoyed but I knew you wouldn’t be mad. I know that you won’t be.” At this, Leonard hums his agreement although he can’t help the concern and confusion that continues to grow but he stays quiet and allows you to finish. speaking.

“M’Benga said I have a touch of what’s ailing the rest of the crew, nothing serious, nothing that can’t be fixed quickly. But I’ve been nauseous and that’s not one of the symptoms,” you sigh and allow your words to sink in for a moment before you continue. “I’m pregnant. About a month and a half, he guessed,” you whisper, your voice cracking a bit, “and, I mean, I wasn’t sure but I’ve been thinking and I can’t see myself doing anything other than keeping the baby. You don’t have to stay or be a part of this if you don’t want to. I just, I don’t know.”

Leonard’s hands had gone still after you’d uttered the two words but at the insinuation of his having an out, Leonard stands from the bed and drags his hand through his hair. “You’re not getting rid of me that easy,” he laughs without humor, his voice tense and his shoulders heavy. He opens his mouth to say something, question your sanity, maybe, but he thinks better of it. You’re clearly shaken up and him opening his big mouth won’t help matters. “Why are you so upset?”

“We’ve never talked about this,” you sigh, “we’ve never talked about having a child of our own. I know that you love Joanna but do you want another child? And what about work? You’ve made it abundantly clear that you think the Enterprise is the world’s worst place to have a child or a life, really, and I can’t say that I disagree about the child part. I don’t even know the regulations about that. It’s so unexpected but also not really because we have a good sex life. It’s just, I don’t know, a lot. I’ve never really imagined it but now it’s all I can think about and I feel like I’m going to puke again.”

Leonard helps you into the bathroom and strokes your back as you empty your stomach once more. After you brush your teeth and splash a bit of cold water on your face, Leonard helps you back to the bed and sits back down beside you.

“We’ve never talked about it,” he concedes, “but I’ve thought about it. Thought about havin’ a little girl with your eyes and your sense of independence or a boy with my hair and your kind heart. This ship is the worst damn place in the world for a kid but we’ve got some time to figure out what we’re going to do. But, no matter what, we’re doin’ it together.”

You’re quiet for a moment and let yourself melt into the touch of Leonard’s hands on your back. He pulls you a little closer when he feels your shoulders begin to shake and he’s worried until you begin to speak. “You’re okay with this?” you question, your voice small and still a bit worried.

“It’s not ideal,” he concedes, “but I’m happy. I love you and I love our little one. There’s a lot we have to work out, logistics and whatnot, but we can worry about the world in the morning. What matters is whether or not you’re okay with this.”

“I’m still frazzled,” you answer honestly, “nervous as hell, but I’m really okay. I love you and if I have to go through the hell that is labor for anyone’s child, I’m glad it’s going to be yours.”

Leonard laughs at your words and sends you a genuine, loving smile. “We’re going to have a baby,” he hums happily as he leans back against the headboard and pulls you into his chest.

“Yeah,” you laugh, genuinely and happily, as his hand gently comes to rest on your stomach, “We’re gonna have a baby."

**Author's Note:**

> Listen. I literally hate summaries. Anyway, I want to write a Mirror!Bones. Or a Mirror!Kirk with a knife kink. We'll see.


End file.
